


Mine For Christmas

by violinbythefire



Series: Tumblr Prompts [5]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Christmas, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-13 04:49:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12976293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violinbythefire/pseuds/violinbythefire
Summary: Anonymous asked: Alec referring to Magnus as 'family'? :)





	Mine For Christmas

Alec’s parents indulged in the Christmas tradition if only for appearances. Growing up, there was no ‘decorating the Christmas tree together’. Alec, Izzy and Jace would wake up to find the incredibly tall and perfectly designed Christmas tree sitting in the living room. And they were absolutely not allowed to touch it. There was no baking of Christmas cookies or visits to see Santa or watching Christmas specials together. Robert would somehow be on a business trip every year in Central Europe. At the very best, the only indication that Christmas happened was the fact that the siblings and Mayrse sat down to an incredibly tense, but remarkably delicious, Christmas dinner. Alec had no idea what going to a job interview felt like, but he had a feeling that it was not quite different from his mother grilling him about his grades and extracurricular activities. When he left home for college, it was not different. 

This year, Alec was hoping it was going to change.

Alec had met Magnus during his sophomore year of college. Izzy, who dragged him out of his dorm one weekend night, introduced the two at a club. Magnus was a few years older than Alec and making his way through law school. He exerted a confidence that Alec was envious over. The attraction was mutual. Alec, who was struggling with his sexuality, attempted to muffle those feelings. He had come out of the closet to his family. His siblings accepted him with no conditions. Robert had stopped speaking to him, but considering that he more or less said five sentences to Alec per year, Alec had not quite noticed the difference. Mayrese accepted it as a ‘phase’ and that he would ‘grow out of it after college’. 

Magnus had been together for ten months by the time December came. Alec had asked Magnus if he was going home for Christmas. Magnus had awkwardly laughed before explaining that he wasn’t. That was how Alec found out that Magnus’s biological father walked out, his mother committed suicide, his stepfather tried to kill him and he had been raised by a series of foster families. While his last foster family was decent to him, Magnus insisted that he had not imposed on them during the holidays. Ever since he left for college, he stayed in city at his apartment with his cat for company.

Well, Alec was not going to stand for that. 

“You’re coming home with me,” Alec ordered, much to Magnus’s amusement. Magnus accepted the offer. Later that night, when Magnus was asleep in his bed and Alec was dozing off, he realized something.

Alec had invited Magnus home for Christmas and Mayrese did not even know he had a boyfriend.

“Izzy, what do I do?” Alec whispered into his phone. He had called his sister after locking himself in the bathroom, “If I call, Mom is going to say no. And I can’t tell Magnus he can’t come anymore. It’ll crush him.” 

“Easy,” Izzy yawned into the phone. Alec had woken her up to explain his current situation, “Jace is bringing home Clary to meet Mom. Tell Mom you’re bringing someone home, too. Just show up with Magnus. She’s cold, but she’s not evil. She won’t throw Magnus out. She’ll bitch at you behind closed doors, but Magnus won’t be the wiser.” 

It was an incredibly terrible idea, but it was the best Alec had. 

He had called his mother the next day to let her know that he was bringing home ‘someone’. Maryse insisted on details and Alec was careful not to give too many details. He kept his description of Magnus gender neutral. Maryse sounded pleased and told Alec that she was looking forward to meeting ‘her’. Alec did not correct her. 

So, feeling as though his heart was going to implode, Alec took Magnus home for the holidays. Magnus had looked around at the decorated home with interest as he took off his coat. Alec took it from him to put it on the coatrack. He could heart his mother, Izzy, Jace and Clary talking in the living room. There was no use in putting this off any longer. 

“Alexander? Is there any particular reason that you’re trying to crush my hand?” Magnus asked. Alec then realized that he had reached for his boyfriend in an effort to soothe himself. Alec looked over at Magnus and swallowed loudly.

“I’m just…nervous…” Alec admitted. Magnus looked at him with such loving affection that Alec could feel his heart beat slow. Magnus placed his free hand to Alec’s cheek and leaned up to kiss him. 

“Don’t be,” Magnus murmured, “Everyone loves me…” 

“How could they not?” Alec whispered back, moving his hand over Magnus’s back, pulling him into a tight embrace. After a few moments, he pulled himself from the hug and walked with Magnus into the living room. 

Maryse looked like a queen sitting before her court as she sat in the tall, leatherback chair by the fireplace. Clary and Jace were sitting on one of the couches and Izzy was sitting next to her mother. The talking stopped when Magnus and Alec walked in. 

While Clary, Jace and Izzy greeted Magnus and Alec with warm and happy words, Maryse’s face went through confusion, realization, and subtle outrage in under two seconds. Alec was debating whether it was too late to bail on this entire plan when Magnus approached Maryse and offered her his hand, “You must be Alec’s mother. I’m Magnus Bane. It’s an honor to meet you, Mrs. Lightwood.”

Maryse looked at Magnus’s hand as though it was a poisonous snake. She looked at him up and down, inspecting Magnus’s form. Over the months, Alec had gotten used to Magnus’s fashion sense, but now he was almost overly aware of his fashionable clothes, collection of jewelry and piercings, and artfully done make up. 

“Alec, can I speak to you?” Maryse asked as she looked away from Magnus and to her son. Alec’s siblings and Clary were looking at each other before they looked at Magnus with sympathy. At this point Magnus had lowered his hand and looked at Alec with confusion and concern in his eyes.

Alec swallowed again, wondering if some unseen force could just strike him down rather than making him talk to his mother about Magnus. Instead, he forced the words out of his mouth, “Anything you want to say to me, you can say here. We’re all family, including Magnus.” 

He hoped that he was calling his mother on a bluff, because he could not stand the idea of her humiliating Magnus in front of everyone. Maryse pursed her lips and looked at Magnus again, “It’s lovely to meet you, Magnus.”

It was not much, but it was a start. Alec sat down on the couch and Magnus sat down next to him. Alec could feel his mother’s eyes on him even as Jace and Izzy made an effort to start the conversation again. Alec wrapped his arm around Magnus’s shoulders, watching as his boyfriend pulled out his phone. Wondering why Magnus was playing with his phone, Alec got his answer when he felt his own phone vibrate. Alec waited for a discreet moment when Maryse’s eyes were off him before he took out his phone.

‘Was it true what you said? I’m family?”

Alec glanced over at Magnus who was looking at Alec with worry in his eyes. Alec nodded, relieved when Magnus smiled at him. 

Maybe the rest of this visit would not go as planned, but Alec didn’t care. As long as Magnus knew where he stood, Alec did not care what Maryse thought.


End file.
